Hi there, John and all,
John, your post ends with 'lm970' – please explain.
It is possible to be led astray by numbers and letters cast in to lathe beds or other parts. Depending on the drawing system used by the manufacturer, these can be the part number of the bed, pre-machining, or even the identity of the foundry pattern rather than the identity of the complete lathe.
I have also seen lathes listed by eBay sellers attributing them to the manufacturers of the motor! Or to the Sales agent.
In the case of the Myford 7 series, the Super Seven and the ML7R actually bear a label (when new) giving their identity but, so far as I know, the good old ML7 doesn't bear its name – in the absence of experience, it has to be identified from the Myford sales literature, the various books featuring it, or Tony's web-site, Lathes.co.uk. The ML1,2,3&4 can usually be distinguished from each other by comparison of centre height or whether the drive is via flat belt or vee belt.
Best regards,
Swarf, Mostly!